


So There's These... People...

by ConsultingCompanion94



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series), Thomas Sanders
Genre: M/M, Possible Remus Shenaigans?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:29:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27123874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConsultingCompanion94/pseuds/ConsultingCompanion94
Summary: Thomas knows it's time to introduce Nico to the Sides before Nico starts thinking he's hiding something. Is Thomas ready for this? Are the Sides? How will Nico react? Let's find out, shall we?
Relationships: Nico Flores/Thomas Sanders
Comments: 49
Kudos: 185





	1. Can You Come Over?

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! So just heads up... I'm very nervous about this new fic. I've had some vague ideas, and I really wanna jump on the "Nico meets the Sides" ship because I already would  
> die for Nico and I wanna do my own spin on some ideas I've already seen on here... but that's about all I got going for me this time around. I can't promise I'll be super consistent with uploads compared to my other stories since I'm still figuring out so much of what I want to do, but I'll be updating once I feel happy with each characters chapter as inspiration for each Side strikes, but I would love to hear your thoughts and comments to get my creative juices flowing for each of their interactions with Nico. Love you all, and hope you enjoy!

Flopping down on the couch with an over-dramatic groan that would normally have made Roman proud were it not for their current dilemma, didn’t seem to convey the “everyone needs to take a chill pill, or maybe three!” vibe Thomas was going for.

“All I’m saying is, he’s gonna start to think you’re crazy if you don’t talk to him Thomas. Maybe we’re moving too fast, he’s gonna start having questions, and we’re not ready for that discussion,” Virgil said, recycling the same argument he’d already made at least three times that day.

“Nico would never! If he has any concerns, he would be more than willing to come to Thomas with them openly and honestly. He’s far too much of a gentleman to just run at the first minor issue he may have without saying anything! Thomas can bring it up in his own time if Nico doesn’t ask first, and Nico will respect that. How long Thomas waits won’t make or break their relationship as long as the conversation _does_ eventually happen and Thomas feels ready for it. We shouldn’t let that hold us back from enjoying the glory of new romance by taking a step back!” Roman responded.

“Ooor, he’s too nice to say anything that might hurt Thomas, so he’ll try to soften the blow and let Thomas down easily without actually confronting the problem,” Virgil stubbornly maintained, arms crossed and tense with anxiety.

“Now Virge, if he really cares about Thomas, he’ll love every part of him, flaws, quirks and all! He’s stuck around this long hasn’t he?” Patton said calmly, attempting for what felt like the millionth time to calm the tension building between the four.

“While it is true that there is an encouraging level of compatibility between the two Patton, Virgil is also correct that the increasing amount of time Thomas and Nico are spending in one anothers company will make some sort of unexplainable mishap leading to Nico’s confusion and or concern inevitable. The question remains whether the relationship and Thomas’s mental health would be better served bringing up the topic himself, or waiting until such a mishap occurs and Nico comes to him,” Logan stated.

“Again, assuming Nico actually _does_ come to Thomas about it and doesn’t just bail, or worse, freak out if Thomas does come to him first and still bail anyway,” Virgil snapped. 

“Guys, you’ve made your points, this really isn’t helping!” Thomas wined, finally bringing the others to a pause. 

Thomas and Nico had been dating for three months now, going out several times a week and texting or calling basically any free second they had when they weren’t already together. Thomas hesitated to call it perfect, because that was just asking for trouble… Oh what the heck, it was basically as perfect as it was possible for such a new relationship to be! Though Thomas had rarely been happier, he couldn’t discount that Virgil’s stance on their current issue was far more valid then he wanted it to be.

The current debate- telling Nico about the Sides.

Though not particularly helpful in actually making up his mind on how to proceed, Virgil was right that it was only a matter of time before Nico noticed something that would lead to questions. Thomas had already had several close run-ins where he’d had to explain away ( _Yes lie, Janus, don’t rub it in_ , Thomas thought irritably,) an awkward instance of almost being caught saying something to one of the Sides or a momentary slip-up mentioning them by name.

So far, Nico hadn’t said anything. Still, Thomas knew it was only a matter of time before Nico started wondering who he was actually talking to, or who these assumed “friends” of Thomas were and why he’d never met them like he had Joan, Talyn, or any of Thomas’s other friends.

Finally sitting upright now that he finally had the Sides attention, Thomas continued, “I _know_ it’s probably not going to help anything, putting it off until he confronts me about it,“ Thomas sighed. “I just… wish there was a way to feel more… not calm exactly, that's probably never gonna happen.” 

Virgil gave a small shrug of agreement.

“I wish I could feel at least… more prepared, or maybe at peace with the possibility of a worst case scenario. Not that I think it’ll come to that, but… I don't know,” he huffed in frustration, messing with his hair to let off some of his nervous energy.

“Well Thomas, bottom line is… you gotta talk to him when you feel right about it. That may mean calm, that may not,” Patton shrugged, “But, either way, the conversation is gonna happen eventually. Whatever you decide, we’ll support you kiddo. If he’s falling for you as much as you're falling for him, he’ll stand by you no matter what. If he doesn’t…” Patton paused for a shaky breath, “It’ll be hard, we can all acknowledge that. But if he doesn’t, he’s not the one. It’ll just mean you won’t be wasting time on someone who won’t accept you just as you are when you could still be out there searching.”

Grumbling and folding his arms in what he would deny was a resigned pout, Roman grumbled, “Much as I despise even considering such a promising start to a potentially magical relationship not panning out… I can’t argue with that. Not even a life alone is worse than being with someone you don’t feel like your true self with.”

“Definitely would cause me to be a total wreck,” Virgil shuttered.

“Ok ok, I guess I know what I gotta do,” Thomas said, and with fingers that were shaky but still more steady than he’d expected, Thomas typed out a simple-

_Thomas: Can you come over? I miss you, and... there’s something important I’d like to talk with you about._


	2. Let’s Talk Talk About Pixar and My YouTube Chanel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here it is- the big discussion with Nico that has all the Sides and Thomas on edge. How will he take it? Will Thomas lose his nerve?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my amazing readers!!! You have no idea how psyched I am to FINALLY come back to this story!!! I have had one of my hardest bouts of writers block... like... ever... figuring this story out, but I am sooooo excited to finally have a chapter ready to release into the wild. Thank you to all of you who have left kudos and comments, both when the story first came out and in the following months, they’ve made my day every single time. You’ve waited long enough, lets get right on with the show!

_Knock Knock Knock_

Unsurprisingly, it wasn’t just Virgil who jumped at the sound of the expected but still nerve-wracking noise. Thomas jumped almost as much, Patton visibly flinched, and even Roman let out a slight yelp before being shushed by Virgil. _Probably better that way_ , Thomas thought, considering the distraction seemed to help snap Virgil into a slightly calmer state (at least enough for Thomas to manage going to answer the door without panicking at the thought of what he was about to do.)

Once he finally got the door open, all the air rushed out of Thomas’s lungs for a completely different reason. Though facing away from the living room, Thomas would bet every lego set he now owned that Virgil’s eyeshadow was currently a bright, glittering purple. If the flips his own stomach was doing at the sight of his boyfriend were anything to go by, he’d win that bet.

“Hey,” Thomas grinned, savoring the brief rush of the calm before the potential storm his giddiness at seeing Nico provided. That was, of course, only because he was sure the Sides were poised and waiting in the wings to spring only when the time came, not currently breathing down his neck. They must have known better than to face causing him a meltdown by jumping on him the second Nico was at the door. A wise move on their part.

“‘Hey’ back at you T. Articulate as always,” Nico teased with a chuckle, opening his arms for a hug and meeting Thomas halfway to the embrace once he was sure Thomas would welcome the offer.

_Little things like that, that’s what got me_ , Thomas thought as he buried himself into the hug. All the things Nico did that showed just how much he cared for Thomas and his thoughts and feelings. Something as simple as making sure Thomas wouldn’t object to a hug, even though Nico knew by now just how much Thomas craved physical touch and affection in his relationships.

After squeezing back briefly and bracing himself, Thomas pulled away and linked their hands while leading Nico inside and over to the couch. Once they were seated, Thomas briefly registered what each of the Sides were doing. 

Roman was currently vibrating with excitement, making literal heart eyes at Nico with the occasional dreamy sigh. Virgil’s leg was bouncing as he was simultaneously shaking out his hands, holding them close to his sides and blushing lightly. His eyeshadow was currently a darker purple due to the mix of both terrifying and euphoric anxiety. Patton was bouncing up and down, hands fisted and covering his face as he giggled and squealed as quietly as he could manage. Logan, much as he denied any attachment to this sort of thing, was relentlessly observing every little possible body language cue between the couple to prepare to provide feedback and suggestions. This only slightly distracted him from frequently adjusting his glasses and tie, or running his fingers through his hair for the hundredth time.

“Thanks for coming over so quickly Nico,” Thomas dove right in once they were sitting. He decided to at least attempt to prevent this from being more awkward than it had to be by avoiding dragging it out or beating around the bush. He hoped desperately to succeed.

“I’m happy I was available. Your text seemed like a big deal, I’m glad I didn’t have to wait to come,” Nico said, before adding a bit more slowly, “Though… I’m hoping that wasn’t just a well-hidden ‘we need to talk’ text…”

“No no no no, nothing like that,” Thomas stammered. _So much for calm_ he thought with irritation. “I just… there’s… well, something I’ve been needing to get off my chest for a while now… shoot, that made it sound a lot more ominous than it needed to be…” Thomas rambled, his breath speeding up as Virgil’s leg began bouncing faster and faster in response to Thomas’s growing nerves. Mercifully, Thomas was cut short by Nico grabbing his hand and giving it a firm, grounding squeeze.

“Hey hey, it’s ok. I don’t want you to feel stressed about anything, especially not if it’s something I can help with. If you need to talk something out with me, I’m happy to listen for as long as you need,” Nico said gently. His calm, reassuring smile calmed Thomas almost faster than his usual breathing exercises, and he managed to give a grateful smile back.

“Thanks for all of that,” Thomas chuckled sheepishly, before taking a deep breath and asking point-blank, “So… have you by any chance… ever looked me up on YouTube?”

Tilting his head in confusion, Nico answered, “I mean, not yet… is that weird?” Nico asked, now looking a little guilty, “I’m sorry if that’s stupid or like, makes me seem unsupportive! You’ve been super sweet, always wanting to know about my writing and whatever I’m working on. It just felt too private… like I’d feel super weird if I found out you’d read some of the stuff I’d written if I hadn’t shared it with you myself, so I just thought maybe you’d prefer to introduce me to that part of your life on your own terms when you were ready.”

Cutting Nico off hastily before he could keep beating himself up, Thomas said, “It’s not weird at all, I promise. And that’s not a problem, really. Just wanted a little background since that’s… kinda what I wanted to talk about. Sort of.” Thomas finished, cringing with an embarrassed grin at his poor explanations.

Nodding with a relieved look, Nico said, “Ok, makes sense… or it will I guess.” Seeing that Nico cared about this conversation going well just as much as Thomas did was a huge help. Neither of them were in any hurry, Thomas taking comfort in how ok Nico seemed with just letting him open up however much and in whatever way he needed to.

Hands still clasped and rubbing small circles on Nicos hand with his thumb, Thomas asked, “Follow up question, you’ve seen the movie _Inside Out_ right?”

“Duh, I cry every time! Not ashamed to admit it!” Nico replied, grinning excitedly, “That’s gotta be one of the most tear-jerking Pixar movies.” 

Thomas couldn’t help notice how the Sides (Roman and Patton in particular) got overly excited at that little outburst, fighting to avoid rolling his eyes at how predictable their reactions were. Knowing Nico was a Disney fan was one thing, but seeing it in action? Definitely a whole other level.

“No kidding. It’s great!” Thomas agreed. He looked directly at Nico so he could gage his reaction before asking, “Have you ever thought about… what it would be like if that was all real? Even better, if we could actually, like, _talk_ to those parts of ourselves? Directly?” He finished, swallowing down his nerves and forcing himself not to let his eyes flick to the different corners of the room to see how each of the Sides was reacting.

Going along with the train of thought far easier than Thomas would have expected, Nico said both thoughtfully and excitedly, “I can’t decide if that would make things easier, or feel like you were in a constant game of tug of war! All those opinions and ideas fighting for your attention, how would you ever decide _anything_?” He chuckled, clearly amused at the idea.

Thomas couldn’t help laughing at that. The irony of just how on point Nicos assessment was was entirely too funny, especially since Nico had no idea just how right he was. Seeing each of the Sides in various forms of pouting at the unintended jab out of the corners of his eyes just added to the humor, though clearly none of them were actually offended.

Now giggling himself at Thomas’s reaction, Nico said, “Glad you seem to think I’m so funny, usually it’s you making me laugh,” he teased, gently poking Thomas in the side.

“Awww, that’s so adorable!” Patton cooed, giggling relentlessly at the hopelessly lovey-dovey actions of the couple.

“Inside joke… well, kind of,” Thomas replied, sobering up again once he redirected himself back to the task at hand. _No backing out now,_ he thought, playing with Nicos fingers to try to remain calm as he began to explain. “So on my YouTube channel, I have this Series. It’s called _Sanders Sides._ Basically, it’s where I work through a different issue each episode, but instead of talking to personifications of my emotions, I’m talking to different aspects of my personality.”

Eyes widening, Nico said enthusiastically, “Really? That sounds really interesting! What do you mean by aspects?” He asked, clearly fascinated.

“He’s so supportive! Look how quickly he wanted Thomas to rant about his work!” Roman gushed, beaming with excitement. Surprisingly, this part was easy, almost thrilling, much more than Thomas would have expected. He hadn’t realized just how freeing it would feel to share such a major part of his life with Nico. 

On the other hand, Thomas also suspected once he got to the core of the discussion it would be much more nerve-racking. “Oh, there’s several,” Thomas said, not wanting to give too much away all at once, not if Nico was hopefully going to hear about all of them in depth anyway. “Logical thinking, right and wrong, imagination and romance, that kind of thing.”

Nodding, Nico asked, “So you’ve been working on these videos for a while? Was _Inside Out_ the inspiration then?”

And there it was. How the videos came to be. Stomach clenching, Thomas said slowly, “Not… exactly…”

“Not a bad conclusion to have drawn though, very observant,” Logan noted, nodding in approval and lips quirking in a small half-smile. 

Eyebrows scrunched in confusion, Nico simply waited patiently for Thomas to elaborate. With a few steadying breaths, Thomas asked, “You know how there’ve been several times you’ve thought you heard me talking to someone, and I always said I was rehearsing lines?”

Grinning as he thought he caught on, Nico guessed, seeming relieved to have supposedly put the pieces together. “Oh, is that what you were rehearsing for? You just didn’t say what you were working on because you were still shy about introducing me to your videos?” 

“I mean… in a way yes, but… not entirely,” Thomas said, back to stuttering out his explanations as he finally got out, “I guess you could view it as video prep, because the videos are a bit more… literal… than anyone realizes,” Thomas said, letting that sink in. 

Thomas was relieved Nico didn’t seem to be nervously moving away or handling this poorly (so far) despite his clear confusion, “Ok… literal meaning?” Nico trailed off.

Heart skipping several beats, Thomas finally got out, “Meaning… they actually exist. My Sides. I didn’t just make them up and act as them for my videos… they’re real.”

“I’m… not sure I follow…” Nico said, looking more and more perplexed by the minute, though thankfully not unsettled or weirded out. “Like, a multiple personality thing?”

“No, not like that,” Thomas shook his head, glad he’d at least had practice explaining this aspect of the videos. “They’re not like completely separate people, each with an entire personality. Think distinct, unique puzzle pieces of my one personality that make up a whole me.”

“Like how the emotions were different, but all parts of the one Riley?” Nico questioned, Thomas seeing clearly that his mind was whirring as he tried to fit all of the gears in place.

“Exactly!” Thomas confirmed, nodding his head. “Does that make sense?”

“I mean… yes?” Nico said hesitantly, giving Thomas a self-conscious smile. “Sorry, I’m probably making this really weird, this is just…”

“A lot?” Thomas finished, giving his own breathless, shaky laugh.

“Come on, ‘a lot’, seriously? You’ve gotta be able to reassure him you still lo- don’t hate him better than that!” Virgil groaned, shrinking further into his hoodie and eyeshadow darkening until, thankfully, Nico cut his spiraling short. 

“Can’t even imagine how you’re feeling,” Nico agreed. It appeared they were both equally relieved. Thomas obviously calmed from the fact that Nico hadn’t run from his house, convinced Thomas had lost it, and as far as he could tell, Nico was just as relieved Thomas wasn’t hurt by his reaction.

“So, how does that work, exactly?” Nico finally asked, “If that’s ok for me to ask that is!” he added hastily, Thomas’s heart warming as his consideration. “Are they, like, voices? How often do they show up? I’m having a hard time picturing it,” He admitted with a chuckle.

“A little more substantial than that,” Thomas laughed. “No, not just voices. They appear in person, at least to me, as slightly different variations of me, and typically only show up when I’m facing some kind of dilemma or decision. At least that’s when they appear physically that is, and most often only when I’m alone. Otherwise, they just stay in my head and I go about things normally.”

“As normally as a weirdo like you can,” Virgil muttered, though it was clear by his cautiously optimistic smirk that there was no bite to his remark, despite Roman’s gasp of offense.

“How dare you Stormy Day Real Estate! An insult against Thomas is an insult against all of us, including yourself I might add, and that shall not stand!” Roman bellowed, hands flailing wildly in his indignation.

“Now kiddo, don’t make me follow through with my threat of what happens when you talk bad about yourself,” Patton frowned, giving a rare threatening scowl in Virgil's direction, “No tearing yourself down on my watch!”

“Patton, we’ve been over this. As Thomas made very clear, that is the opposite of helpful in a scenario such as this,” Logan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. 

“Maybe Princey should take his extra level down a notch, pretty sure I was clear it was a joke,” Virgil huffed, now clearly regretting his attempt at humor with his snarky comment.

“Extra is what I do, thank you very much!”

“Joke or not, I _will_ physically fight you!”

“When is violence ever a productive solution to _any_ dilemma?”

“COULD YOU GUYS KNOCK IT OFF?!” Thomas shouted, only glaring at the Sides for mere seconds before each of their faces melted into matching looks of horror. Thomas looked slowly back at Nico, stomach dropping and unable to say a word as he looked at the wide eyes and open mouth his boyfriend was currently wearing.

“I… what… how… was that…” Nico stuttered, blinking furiously and finally snapping his mouth shut before continuing, “So… I’m guessing… we’ve got company?” 

“That’s... one way to put it...” Thomas squeaked, before desperately babbling, “I am so so sorry Nico, this isn’t at all how I wanted this to go, I was hoping to ease you into the idea, I look like a crazy person right now, I literally just admitted I regularly have long-winded conversations with people only I can see, and not two seconds later I just randomly shouted at what looked like thin air without giving you any time to process everything I just threw at you…” Thomas gasped, trying to keep his breathing under control but doing a poor job of it.

Face finally softening and losing its look of shock, Nico said gently, “Thomas, hey, calm down hon, breath ok? Can I give you a hug?” He offered, once again holding his arms open in invitation.

With a silent nod, Thomas buried himself in his boyfriend's arms, gently gripping his jacket as he slowly focused on evening his breathing. Once he finally pulled away, face pink with embarrassment, he said “Sorry, didn’t mean to freak out on you like that.”

“It’s completely fine, as long as you’re ok now that is,” Nico said, still rubbing soothing circles on Thomas’s back.

“Yeah, I’m ok, just embarrassed,” Thomas chuckled as the Sides breathed a collective sigh of relief.

“Don’t be. Although, now I’m curious…” Nico paused, hesitating and looking as if he wondered if this question was allowed, before continuing anyway, “Has our company been here this whole time?”

Rubbing the back of his neck, Thomas admitted, “Yeah… yeah they have. Although I’m honestly surprised they held in any outbursts as long as they did, they’ve had unusually good behavior this whole time. Usually having something this major happen would have caused them to lose it by now,” Thomas chuckled, brought on both by nerves and all the Sides turning red with embarrassment.

“Really? What’s happening right now?” Nico asked eagerly, looking for all the world like an excitable kid who had just been told his friend could talk to animals.

Smiling at Nico’s response, Thomas proceeded to describe what physical distinctions each Side had, as well as where they stood in the room. He wished Nico could see how each Side visibly perked up as their turn came, smiling adorably as Nico’s eyes trailed to their portion of the room and made their best guess on where to settle.

“I’m happy to meet you all… well, kind of meet you anyway,” Nico laughed, “From the way Thomas talks about all of you, you sound pretty great.”

“This is hardly a satisfying meeting for all involved! Oh that we could help Thomas in wooing our beloved Bard in person!” Roman whined longingly.

“Well, why can’t we?” Patton said cheerfully, “You could think of some way for us to communicate, couldn’t you Logan?”

“We _just_ told him we exist, can we _please_ not overwhelm him any more than we already have for now?” Virgil groaned, anxiously messing with his fidget cube in the pocket of his hoodie.

“I mean… we’ve never tried to communicate with anyone directly before, only occasionally had Thomas relay conversations and messages to Joan and a few other close friends, this would be quite different…” Logan said as he thought out loud, enough to egg Roman on by the simple fact that he hadn’t completely written off the possibility.

“Wait, you’re saying it may be possible?!” Roman gasped.

“Guys, maybe this is a conversation for another time...” Thomas began as he started to stand to try to reign the Sides back in again, not reacting fast enough to avoid Roman as he made to barel across the room at Logan in his haste.

Before either of them could stop it, they collided, Thomas collapsing back into the couch and Roman there one blink, gone the next.

“Thomas! Are you ok?” Nico gasped, moving closer and trying not to panic at the sight of his boyfriend collapsing.

Groaning, Thomas slowly sat up, blinking slowly before his eyes widened and his back went ram-rod straight.

“By the thunderbolt of Zeus!” He gasped, wildly grasping at his cloths and pulling out his phone to check his reflection.

Slowly, unable to believe what he was seeing but also unable to deny that he had no other explanation, Nico asked, “T-Thomas?”

Finally, meeting Nicos eyes with a look that was just as shocked, Thomas stammered, “Not… exactly…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup... that happened... Thank you so much for reading! Heads up, chances are the rest of the chapters will NOT be this long! I just had SO MUCH to cover, and I didn’t feel there was any way to break anything up since it all felt like it needed to stay together. Comment, leave kudos, and thank you so much again for sticking with me! I’ll see you all hopefully much sooner next time, and until then, stay safe and stay awesome!


	3. A Royal Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First up- Roman! How will everyone take the shock of what just happened? How will Roman handle meeting Nico? Let’s see!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are back again! Thank you all so much for your comments last chapter, I’m so glad you all loved it! It was super tricky figuring out how I wanted to play it, but I’m super glad you all loved it! So, let’s see how everyone’s handling that little cliffhanger, shall we?!

“Is… this a regular occurrence?” Nico asked nervously a few minutes later, before wincing at his own question, “Sorry, stupid question, you’re obviously as shocked about this as I am right now.”

Laughing with a bit of a hysterical edge to it, Thomas, or perhaps currently it was more accurate to call him Roman, said, “I would say that counts as a major understatement. Nothing like this has happened with any of us before,  _ ever. _ ”

After having sat there speechless for what feels like several eternities, each of the other Sides were slowly unfreezing, though each had various degrees of shock in their expressions. It was obvious they were all desperately trying to make sense of what they were seeing and how this was even possible.  _ Well, join the club _ , Roman thought.

If Roman had been less of a mental mess currently, he would have noticed Nico studying him with rapt attention much sooner. Roman’s more regal posture, formal mannerisms, and even the subtle differences in the tone of his voice were clearly unique, though similar enough that it was still undeniably Thomas.

Eventually, Nico finally asked, “I literally can’t find a way to ask this without it sounding weird, but if I’m meeting you in a way I guess it makes sense I should ask your name.”

In an instant, it seemed the full scope of just how many opportunities what was happening provided Roman seemed to catch up with him, his eyes absolutely lighting up. To heckity heck with spurring Thomas on in his romantic pursuits from the sidelines, he could actually have a chance to experience everything he’d only previously been able to observe and feel second-hand. 

“I suppose that does make sense,” Roman purred, leaning a little closer so he could take Nicos hand and bring it to his lips, smirking flirtatiously as he said, “Prince Roman, pleased to meet you for myself mi corazon.”

Nico flushing bright red nearly caused Roman to lose any bit of suaveness he’d mustered up by giving an undignified squeal that would rival the one he could hear Patton giving at that moment. Virgil visibly tensed at Roman being so forward, and Logan simply rolled his eyes at the dramatic display.

“Um… same here Roman. Didn’t know Thomas had this in him, good to know,” Nico chuckled, before continuing thoughtfully, “Can I assume it would be too simple to guess your main purpose is helping Thomas flirt?”

“Oh, that is indeed only one of my many talents,” Roman grinned with his signature dramatic flourish, “I encompass Thomas’s love of theatre, his Creativity, his passion! His hopes and dreams are my main purpose in life. Throw in my minor obsession with all things Disney, and you’ve pretty much got the general idea.”

Eyebrows rising in a look that screamed he was forming a theory in a way that made Roman fidget nervously, Nico gave him an evil grin before saying, “So,  _ that _ would explain why I’m getting some swoon- worthy Disney Prince vibes mi Principé,” finishing with a shameless wink.

Nico almost laughed at how fast Romans face went from shocked to fire-engine red, stammering but unable to form a single coherent word. “Aww, was I right mi amado? Can someone dish it out but not take it?”

“Nooo!” Roman whined, burying his face in his hands in an attempt to hide his mortification. “You weren’t supposed to be able to fight back! I’m literally all of Thomas’s romance with no inhibitions, how did you one up me? Where did that even come from?”

“You’re asking me that question?” Nico laughed, “My sweet, adorably anxious boyfriend all of a sudden this shameless flirt? Though I’m definitely not complaining.”

_ Anxious.  _ Suddenly, Roman stiffened, eyes flicking to the stairs. His heart sank as he saw Virgil looking determinedly anywhere else but at the couple on the couch, eyeshadow a deep black.

“Oh no…” Roman breathed, causing Virgil’s lips to press into an even tighter line as he knew he’d been caught. Roman felt embarrassed now how oblivious he’d been not to notice how plainly Virgil’s face looked equal parts envious and longing.

“Forget it Princey, it’s fine,” Virgil muttered almost the same time Nico asked, “Is everything ok Roman?”

“I’m afraid this scenario is… a bit less ideal than I’d originally thought,” Roman said, shoulders slumping, “You see, I’m not the one who deserved to meet you first.”

“What do you mean? You didn’t do this on purpose, and I’m sure you didn’t deserve it any less than any of the other Sides,” Nico said, though Roman just shook his head furiously.

“No, I didn’t deserve to be first. You see, when you and Thomas met at the mall, I was  _ very _ present… but I wasn’t the one who played the biggest part in your meeting that day. It was actually V- Thomas’s Anxiety,” Roman backpedaled, deciding to let Virgil give his name on his own terms. “All I’d done all day was pressure Thomas to talk to you because it’s what  _ I _ wanted… no, what I  _ needed,” _ Roman said, heart squeezing painfully at the reminder of recent losses and of how  _ desperately  _ he’d needed a win.

Finally meeting Nicos gaze again, Roman said, “He saw how badly I wanted you and Thomas to work out, he pushed down his own fears to make Thomas talk to you because he knew how much it meant to me. He should have met you first, not me,” looking over at Virgil, he said in a voice full of remorse, “I’m  _ so _ sorry.”

“Roman,” Nico said gently, taking Romans hand and squeezing it gently, having to wait a moment before the tense fingers relaxed enough to squeeze back before continuing, “Just because someone else may deserve something too, doesn’t mean if you get it you deserve it any less. Everyone deserves their successes, their moments of happiness. People have plenty of wins, and they have plenty of losses. Take the wins when you get them, it means you’ve earned them.”

“He’s right Ro.” Virgil said quietly, Romans head snapping back to the staircase. Locking eyes with Roman, Virgil continued, “We all know you’re doing your best, and your intentions are always good. Thoughts on certain decisions have been… conflicted lately… but you always wanted the same thing we did, what would make Thomas happy. It’s not your fault we were placed in a situation with no easy answers.” 

“You deserve this Roman. Enjoy it like you’ve always wanted to,” Patton said with a warm smile.

“I concur. It would be a waste to put all of this emotional investment into a relationship only to demolish it with internal conflict,” Logan added, giving an encouraging nod in Nico’s direction.

Eyes glossy as he turned back towards Nico, Roman finally managed to give him a small, relieved smile.

“I’m guessing the others agree with me?” Nico asked, causing Roman to giggle before slapping a hand to his mouth in embarrassment. Nico couldn’t help but to join in until they were both laughing uncontrollably, finally collapsing into the couch in a fit of giggles.

When they’d calmed down, Nico asked, “So, are we good?”

Looking unbelievably lighter, Roman replied “Yeah. Yeah, we are.”

“Good,” Nico grinned, pulling Roman into a hug. Roman started in surprise at first, but quickly melted into the touch, lovingly squeezing back.

“So you’re where Thomas gets his love of cuddling and affection,” Nico teased, kissing Romans nose playfully.

Back to blushing again, Roman said, “Partly. Not all me though, there’s another little puffball who loves this kinda thing just as much as I do.”

“I look forward to meeting him,” Nico said, causing Patton to bounce on the balls of his feet and grin like a loon.

“Aww, right back at you!” Patton beamed, causing all the Sides to chuckle fondly at their ultra-enthusiastic friend.

Turning back to Nico, Roman said, “Hate to say it, but I should probably let Thomas take the wheel back. Hopefully this isn’t a one time thing…”

“I’d be insanely disappointed if it was Roman. Glad to meet you,” Nico said, and before he could lose his nerve, Roman pecked him briefly on the lips. It was brief, but enough to send sparks he was sure Nico could feel too.

Closing his eyes and ignoring his rapidly pounding heart and desire to shriek to the heavens over what he’d just been able to do, he focused instead on slowing his uneven breathing. After only a few seconds, Thomas shuddered briefly, eyes blinking slowly open and Roman popping back up in his quarter, a million watt smile and hands flapping rapidly.

“Woah,” Thomas muttered, still dazed both from what had happened as well as from the kiss. “That was a heck of a lot more than I expected when I texted you.”

“Understatement,” Nico snickered, “What was it like on your end?” 

Frowning in concentration, Thomas said, “Even though I wasn’t  _ totally _ in control, it still felt like I… kinda was? More like… the Roman aspects of me were all shoved to the front, rather than me totally blanking out.”

Roman nodded in agreement. They had both felt undeniably present the whole time in a weirdly indescribable way. 

Suddenly, eyes lighting up, Thomas exclaimed, “Oh my gosh, this is amazing! That means you get to meet the others too! I don’t just have to tell you about them…” he gushed, before being cut off as he went to sit up but promptly fell back down again, knees buckling and head spinning.

“Woah, easy hon, looks like that took a lot out of you,” Nico said, helping Thomas sit back down.

Nodding reluctantly, Thomas had to agree. His entire body felt like jello, and his mind was only slightly better. “I guess so. Hopefully it was just because it was the first time. Should get better with practice right?” Thomas asked hopefully.

“We have plenty of time to test that theory. I wanna meet the others as soon as possible,” Nico agreed, before grinning in a way Thomas was learning could only mean trouble, “I also definitely didn’t get enough of a chance to prove I can out-flirt Roman.”

“Oh it is so on!” Roman called from his corner, the Sides groaning as Thomas blushed in a weird mix of embarrassment and absolutely melting.

“I’m in so much trouble.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup, fluff and angst, but mostly fluff. All. The. Fluff. My poor baby Roman has been beaten down so many times, I just need to give him a hug! Therefore, this is my way of doing that.
> 
> I think I have a general idea of the order they’ll be meeting, but if any of you have any strong theories/ reasons for a certain meeting order (or just ideas you wanna see in general) feel free to leave a comment and change my mind! Till then, see you all soon!

**Author's Note:**

> There you have it! Again, kudos make my life, and any comments will do wonders giving me inspiration for future chapters. Hope you enjoyed and look forward to seeing you all soon!


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